Lord of the Rings

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hit movie theaters with larger-than-life geektastic action, but the small-screen version of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy story comes with something even more miniscule: Hobbit-size Lego. Yep, the Blu-Ray/DVD combo set for The Hobbit comes complete with a Bilbo Baggins minifigure.

The two-disc set of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first installment of director Peter Jackson's trilogy, is available for preorder now at Target ($25) and ships March 19.

Watch geek prince Martin Freeman play the role of a lifetime, alongside Ian McKellen as Gandalf and his band of dwarves. If you missed the movie on the big screen, catch up on what folks had to say about the Lord of the Rings prequel and get your daily dose of all things Tolkien online.

How can you get enough hobbit after just one (albeit, one three-hour-long) IMAX screening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey? Relive the magic of Middle-earth long after the theater with the following guide to finding more Tolkien entertainment online.

Downloadable Movies
Want a second helping of the characters you already grew to know and love in Peter Jackson's original films on Tolkien's works? Rent or download the movies here:

• iTunes — Download the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings trilogy, which includes The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, or The Return of the King for $20 or the HD bundle for $45.
• Amazon Instant Video — Rent the trilogy for $1 per movie on Amazon Instant Video, or watch the animated 1978 film ($3) on any device with Amazon Instant Video streaming capabilities, including Xbox, PS3, iPad, and Kindle Fire.
• Google Play — Watch Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins in The Fellowship of the Ring for $2 as a rental on Google Play.

Books
Of course, it was J.R.R Tolkien's carefully crafted books that started Middle-earth mania. Start at the beginning with The Hobbit, and then delve deeper into the languages and cultures of the world with the rest of the series.

• Kindle — Scroll through the many editions and literary criticisms of Tolkien's works in the Kindle ebook store; most titles are priced below $10.
• Nook — For those who prefer the Nook marketplace, the Tolkien books and student study guides range in price from $1 to $15.

Keep reading for hobbit apps on mobile devices.

Thanks to this Friday's release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, we're taking the liberty of celebrating the fantastical story all week! Hailing from the fictional world of Middle-Earth, hobbits have been described as relatives to man but coming in a much smaller package. And just because they aren't human (or, well — real), doesn't mean you can't learn something from their adventures in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Here, we take a look at a few lessons you can learn from the pint-sized creatures.

• It pays to have friends — Throughout The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series, Gandalf, Bilbo, and Frodo Baggins are surrounded by friends, family, and allies that help them along their journeys. Without those friends, they may not have survived. Stay true and kind to your friends; you may never know when you'll need their help.
• Money is not the most important thing in life — In The Hobbit, we learn that dwarves would rather starve than share their wealth. But as the leader of the Dwarves, Thorin, was on his deathbed, he realized the error of his ways too late: "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." True that, Thorin. True that.
• Don't judge a book by its cover — Or a person's strength by their stature. Let's face it — Frodo is tiny, but he was able to complete his task of destroying the ring when other, much stronger men couldn't. The amount of one's passion, will, and strength has nothing to do with their size.
• Appreciate the little things — There's a scene in The Lord of the Rings when Frodo, Sam, Pip, and Merry meet Aragon in a bar in Bree. Pip orders a beer and is totally astonished when one arrives in a full pint. Appreciating the small things in life, whether it's happy hour with your best gals or the fact that your phone takes and sends pictures to this thing called the Internet in five seconds flat, makes the tough times seem not so tough.
• Say yes to adventure — Bilbo Baggins wasn't looking for adventure in The Hobbit, but once he followed his own journey, he ended up with wealth that he used to make his friends and family happy. In turn, making himself happy. If you say no to unknown tasks and callings, you might miss out on a big opportunity to be happy.

What have you learned from the fantasy series? Share in the comments below!

Travel to Middle Earth even before The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits theaters on Dec. 14 with the Hobbit Movies app (free). For Tolkien fans who can't wait for the latest fantasy novel-turned-film to premiere, use the app to follow Bilbo Baggins' journey from the Shire to Lonely Mountain through an interactive Middle Earth map.

In addition to delving into the heart of the classic story, use the app to bask in 360-degree views of the filming locations and early stills from the film, watch the latest production videos, brush up on important characters, download hobbit wallpapers for your iDevices, and peek at the production journals of director Peter Jackson. It's the only thing keeping us Lord of the Rings/hobbit fanatics calm while awaiting the film's release.

We're fans of 3D street art but had never seen it in its early stages until happening upon this artist in action at Comic-Con. Check out that perspective as characters from The Lord of the Rings are carefully plotted, drawn, and painted in their Lego video game forms.

What was one of your favorite sights from this year's Comic-Con?

Get ready to secure the ring and join the hobbit gang! A Pre-E3 announcement brings tale of Lego Lord of the Rings coming to all major gaming consoles this Fall, just in time for The Hobbit's theatrical release. The Lego series is one of our favorite game franchises, and to hear the characters actually speak this time around makes us all the more excited to walk right up to Mordor.

Play as your fellowship character of choice — from Frodo, Aragorn, Gandalf(!), and Gimli to Boromir, Sam, Merry, Pippin, and, of course, Legolas — to solve puzzles while traversing the adventures of Middle Earth.

Watch the full game trailer, complete with a speaking Frodo and a Gandalf throw-down.